Using Flash Catalyst, designers can publish working Flex applications without writing a single line of code. Scott Tapley takes a look at ten features and benefits that make Adobe Flash Catalyst CS5 a smart choice for anyone who produces interactive content for the web or desktop.

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Like this article? We recommend

There’s a lot of buzz and excitement about the new release of Adobe Flash Catalyst CS5 and for several good reasons. This new rich Internet application (RIA) interaction design tool has the potential to significantly improve the workflow for designing, developing, and publishing RIAs built on the Adobe Flex Framework.

Many designers have already begun to work with Flash Catalyst, and the response is overwhelmingly positive. Using Flash Catalyst, designers can publish working Flex applications without writing a single line of code. Some examples include interactive advertisements, product guides, design portfolios, and user interfaces for rich media applications.

Let’s take a look at ten features and benefits that make Adobe Flash Catalyst CS5 a smart choice for anyone who produces interactive content for the web or desktop.

Design fidelity

A common challenge for many application designers is handing off static artwork and describing the intended user experience to developers. The original vision is left to interpretation and sometimes lost in translation. By using Flash Catalyst, designers can now publish completed rich internet applications or provide functional application elements to developers while maintaining design fidelity throughout the entire workflow.

The Flash Catalyst workflow begins by creating artwork and structuring the application using familiar design tools—Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Fireworks. The design composition is then imported into Flash Catalyst. Layers, groups, names, and the structure and position of artwork are preserved in Flash Catalyst.

With your original artwork and design structure preserved in Flash Catalyst, you can now begin to turn static artwork into functional application components. Flash Catalyst maintains the appearance and behavior of user interface elements all the way through to the published application—with pixel-level accuracy, consistently across operating systems and devices.

For applications that require integration with severs and services, the developer gets to implement precisely what the designer wants because they no longer have to go through the interpretation process. This leads to an overall better application design, delivering a more expressive and intuitive application.